Why the Fate of Humanity Rests on a Chinese Middle-Schooler's Test Scores

On Sina Weibo, China's Twitter, user @土豆网 posted this photograph. Within several days of its
appearance, it had been retweeted over 4,800 times and attracted over 500 comments, with a number of other media outlets picking up on the essay and
declaring it "hot." A full translation:

"Time passes very quickly. It's midterm season soon, I already began nervously preparing for the test, I must begin working harder, because if I don't
work hard and review well, then my grades will not go up, and I will be scolded by my parents, and if I get scolded by my parents then I will lose
self-confidence, if I lose self-confidence then I will not finish my studies, if I do not finish my studies then I will not graduate [from university],
if I can't graduate from university then I will not find a good job, if I don't find a good job then I won't be able to make money, if I don't make
money then I can't pay taxes, if I don't pay taxes then it will be difficult for the country to pay salary to teachers, if teachers can't get paid then
they will not be dedicated to teaching, if they are not dedicated to teaching, then this will impact our nation's future, if our nation's future is
impacted, then it will be difficult for China to advance and develop, and the Chinese people will degenerate into a barbaric race. If the Chinese
people degenerate into a barbaric race, then the USA will begin to suspect that our nation has large-scale murderous weapons, if our nation has
large-scale murderous weapons, then the USA will start a war with China and World War III will erupt, if WWIII erupts, both the strengths of both the
USA and China will not be enough, if their strengths are not enough then they will use nuclear weapons, if they use nuclear weapons then they will
destroy the environment, if the environment is destroyed then this will create a big hole in the atmosphere, if there is a big hole in the atmosphere
then global warming will escalate and the glaciers at both poles will melt, if the glaciers melt then the global water level will rise, if the global
water level rises then the entire human race will drown and die. Because it relates to the survival and security of the entire human race, therefore I
must spend the remaining next few days on review in order to do well on the test, and thus prevent a tragedy from happening."

The teacher commented at the end of the essay, "Haha I laughed out loud when I read this!"

This absurdly comical essay didn't just make Chinese web users laugh. It also prompted many to reflect. One web user was quoted by People's Daily as writing, "After I read this, I felt ashamed of
myself. This elementary student's mentality is something we should all learn from." Another web user wrote, "I went back to my books [after
reading this]."

Children rarely speak ironically; their off-hand comments often reveal ideologies or anxieties that pervade society at a sub-conscious level. This
elementary school student, who worries aloud that his behavior could affect the future of the human race, reflects a shift in Chinese consciousness: A
growing sense of responsibility as a global citizen, an increasing interest in the world outside China, and the realization that China, as an influential
nation, must contribute to world peace.

The student's concern that China's decisions "relate to the survival and security of the entire human race" is not as ridiculous as it first seems. China is now the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide; China's future policies
in environmental protection can, and will, influence the fate of the world's environment. This essay expresses an awareness of the consequences of China's decisions.

Chinese web users' reactions to the essay also reveal a shift in Chinese consciousness. Why did this essay make so many Chinese people laugh, and what does
this laughter mean? While a certain degree of irony can be expected in any corner of the Chinese Internet, much of the laughter appeared to signify
acceptance and respect.

Despite its hopefulness, the essay also touches upon a dark side of China's education system. At no point does the student signify he is "nervously
preparing for the test" because he finds his studies enjoyable or interesting. Most striking is the sheer amount of pressure the young writer places on
himself. For him, ensconced in China's hyper-competitive education system, the consequences of bad grades may seem to loom so large that the human race
might as well be at stake. At least this young student appears to take that responsibility seriously -- and now has thousands of web users cheering him on.